I've tried all the major to-do list apps but keep coming back to this one

Whenever it comes to productivity apps, I always get excited about to-do list apps that promise to help me get things done. After all, I’m a chronic procrastinator who has a hard time remembering things, especially when life gets chaotic.

As a result, I’ve tried too many apps to count. But TickTick is the to-do list app that I keep coming back to every time.

Finding the right to-do list app can be a minefield

Not all to-do list apps are created equal. This is something that has become apparent as I’ve switched between apps while trying to find the perfect productivity solution for myself.

Every time I think I have found an app that might stick, something puts me off. In the case of Todoist, the app bombarded me with notifications and emails that put me off the solution before I could really find my stride.

I relied on Google Tasks years ago thanks to its integration with Google Assistant. However, it became apparent that the app was too simple and wasn’t adequate enough for my increasing forgetfulness.

I felt like I’d struck gold when I tried the revamped Samsung Reminder. The problem? You can only use it on Samsung Galaxy devices. Since I frequently switch phones and only use my S23 Ultra as a secondary device, I couldn’t bring this reminder system with me to other devices.

I dipped my toe in apps that marketed themselves as perfect for my ADHD difficulties. But these apps often just ended up leading me to paywalls, making me feel like productivity apps failed me when I needed them most.

I even tried more niche options. Super Productivity appealed to me thanks to its open-source nature and streamlined interface. But the app didn’t play well with my phone’s software and often didn’t schedule time-based recurring tasks until I’d opened the app (something that I forget to do on a daily basis). This meant that I often missed reminders that hadn’t been created when I hadn’t opened the app all week.

I also created automations in Home Assistant with specific reminders, but maintaining a self-hosted solution takes a lot more effort.

Time and time again, I found myself coming back to TickTick.

TickTick has all the features I need

What appeals to me about TickTick is that it has all the features I need, for free. Whenever I find a feature I like in one app, it turns out that TickTick also supports it.

The first thing that got me hooked on TickTick was the custom snooze options for reminders. With health issues that cause fatigue, as well as my ADHD, I perpetually procrastinate. But this doesn’t mean I don’t want to be reminded of the task. When I used Google Tasks, I would dismiss a reminder and it would be as if it no longer existed.

In TickTick, I can choose to receive the reminder again in a few minutes, hours, or the next day. I can endlessly snooze these reminders until I’m ready to tackle the task. If I accidentally dismiss a reminder, the app sends me a daily nudge for my incomplete tasks while not becoming spammy.

I also love that the app has location-based reminders and the ability to set recurring reminders according to the previous task’s completion date. For example, if I’m a few days late or early when switching out my cats’ water fountain filter, I want the next reminder to be based on when I actually did it. This has really come in handy when a migraine or fibromyalgia flare up has significantly disrupted my chores and schedule.

The app also offers pretty comprehensive customization. You can select which views appear on your main navigation bar, set defaults for newly created tasks, and switch between views for your main task tab. This is helpful if you like to dump tasks into your inbox without thinking about due dates, something I do when I’m exhausted but don’t want to forget to add something to my schedule.

I don’t really use the calendar view, habit tracker, Eisenhower Matrix, Pomodoro timer, or countdown feature, but they’re all there if needed. You can also hide them from view if you’re sure that you’re not going to use them, which is what I’ve done.

I also use widgets on my home screen to help keep me up to date with all my upcoming, current, and incomplete tasks. The app supports widgets for different task views, features like countdowns and habits, and shortcuts for adding tasks.

I just wish TickTick was simpler to use

Creating a simple task with a reminder in TickTick is easy. But as soon as you want to add a location or set scheduling according to completion, you need to dive further into task settings. These flows aren’t consistent either. For locations, you need to select a task, select the hamburger menu, then More, and then select Location.

For scheduling according to a completion date, you need to select the date for a task, then Repeat > Custom. On the next page, you need to select the dropdown menu next to Repeat Type and select By Completion.

Meanwhile, when creating a task from scratch, I can’t access the location feature unless I specifically switch to the full-screen interface for the task and select the hamburger menu. Otherwise, the option is just absent.

Templates could make this a bit easier, since it works so well for Samsung Reminder. But the templates in TickTick are all relatively similar, consisting of checklists. They don’t do a good job of highlighting different features.

But as much as I find TickTick’s UI annoying, its features are so good that I keep putting in the effort. The fact that all these features are free is also a major selling point. If you’re looking for a new free to-do list app, I recommend giving TickTick a try. You might end up hooked like me.